The film takes place at Welton Academy, the best private school located in Vermont; where the four fundamental pillars are tradition, honor, discipline and greatness.
At the beginning of the course, a new professor of literature arrived, named John Keating, who gives his very dynamic classes and teaches them many good things for his life, such as thinking independently, but it is not to the liking for the rest of the teachers or the director who does not He agrees how he teaches.
In the end Mr. Keating goes to say goodbye to his students and collect his things from the classroom, at the time of crossing the door, he sees how those who had been his students are standing up at the tables and say loudly “ Oh, captain, my captain. ” With this, the students wanted to show him that they had not betrayed him, but were forced to lie when they were questioned one by one about "The Dead Poets Club" and Mr. Keating before leaving thanked them.